Automatic cut-off for gas-burners.



V. ABBATE.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF FOR GAS BURNERS. APPLICATION FILED m3. 9, 1915.

L136 ;;.;1Uw Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

WITNESSES TIN i l It i W t it. .t

VINCENT ABBATE,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y..

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF FOR GAS-BURNERS.

macros.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application filed February 9, 1915. Serial No. 7,147.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT ABBATE, a

subject of the King of Italy, residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Cut-Ofis for Gas-Burners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

' This invention relates to a device for cutting off automatically the flow of gas to a burner upon the extinguishing of the flame and is concerned particularly with such devices controlled by a thermostatic rod.

Thermostatic devices of the general character of the present invention have been devised heretofore, so that it is not sought by this application to cover broadly such devices but rather to better them by lessening the cost of manufacture, simplifying the construction, and reducing the number of parts, so that all of the requirements of commercial practicability will be satisfied and a cut-off of a more efi'ective character will be available. Known devices have been open to the objection that they are expensive to manufacture and are dependent, for their operation, upon a great number of delicate parts which are so interrelated as to be intendedto bring about the required closing of the cut-off cock whenever the flame is extinguished. It is apparent, however, to those skilled in the art, that the conditions of use surrounding attachments for gas burners are now such as to preclude the marketing of any devices which are not very inexpensive to the consumer, which will be invariable in operation and will not be susceptible to derangement readily.

It is thought that the present invention overcomes all of the objections heretofore existing in devices of the character described and satisfies all of the requirements of both the manufacturer and the consumer for a practicable cut-ofi' adapted to operate on the thermostatic principle.

The particular improvements by which the advantages of the invention are realized will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, in side elevation, a thermostatic cut-off constructed in accordance with the invention, the actuating lever for the gas cook being shown, in full lines, in the position which it assumes when the cock is opened and, in

dotted lines, in the position which it will assume when the gas cock is closed.

The burner a; with the gas tip I) are shown as constituting together a cap which may be secured in position on the pipe line where the improved attachment is to be used, although, it will be evident as the description proceeds that the thermostatic devices may be applied directly to a pipe or burner of any character.

The controlling valve within the burner a is not illustrated particularly, but it is to be understood that this valve will preferably beof the usual plug type and may have aflixed in its end a threaded stud c, a portion of which is of polygonal outline, indicated by. the dotted lines a to be square, to receive a similar aperture formed in an elbow lever d, by which the valve may be conveniently actuated. The free end of one of the arms d of the elbow lever (Z may have secured thereto a pull-chain e for manual operation in the usual manner. The other arm d of the elbow lever extends at substantially right angles from the first named arm d and gen erally upward alongside of the burner pipe, and has formed at its outer end an elongated nose d of arcuate outline. On one edge of this nose d is formed a notch 6Z for purposes which will appear later. The elbow lever cl, it should be emphasized may be stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal and in this Way one of the essential elements of the improved cut-off may be manufactured at a negligible cost.

On the burner a is fastened a substantially U-shaped bracket f, as by means of a flexible strap 9 which embraces the burner and is united detachably to the bracket 7 through suitable screws k. The legs 7 and f of the bracket 7 extend upwardly in substantially vertical positions, and one of the legs 7 has pivotally mounted thereon a bell crank lever z' the short arm 5 of which engages a thermostatic rod 7c, the other end of which is fastened to the other leg f of the bracket f. It should be noted at this point that the bracket 7 may be stamped out of a flat piece of sheet metal and is, therefore, like the elbow lever d, a very inexpensive element of the improved devices. The bell crank lever 71 has its long arm 2' flanged at its free end, as at 2' to constitute a detent which lies in the path of the notch d formed on the nose d of the elbow lever cl, for cooperationin the manner to be described. The detent i is normally pressed upward into engagement with the nose (Z3 on the lever (Z, by means of a suitable spring'Z.

The thermostatic rod is is formed of some suitable alloy having a relatively high coeflicient of expansion and is fastened in juxtaposition to the tip I) of the burner so as to lie in the gas flame and be heated thereby. The rod 70 is secured to the leg f of the bracket 7 through devices by which the tension of the rod 70 may be adjusted, illustrated as a wing nut m threaded on to a short screw 72, to which the rod is ailixed by a union n. Between the union 1?. and a relatively fixed bearing surface on the leg f of the bracket 7 is interposed a lever spring 0 arranged to oppose any setting up on the wing nut m. As the thermostatic rod 70 is supported on one arm 2" of the bell crank lever 2', it will be evident that movement of the rod is against the action of the spring 0, as through the wing nut m, is opposed by the spring Z with which the other arm 2' of the lever i is engaged.

The construction and arrangement of the elements constituting the improved cut-off having now been described, a description of the mode of operation will be readily understood. The elbow lever d is normally maintained in the position indicated in dotted lines by a suitable spiral spring p surrounding the valve spindle c and operatively interposed between this spindle and a fixed anchorage so as to maintain the gas valve in closed position. hen the gas is to be lighted, the pull chain c afiords a ready means for rocking the lever d to the position shown in full lines when the gas valve is opened and the gas may be lighted. The flame immediately heats the thermostatic rod so as to expand it appreciably and permit the spring Z to force the detent 2' into engagement with the notch 0Z so as to hold the lever d in the position shown in full lines, against the action of the spiral spring which tends to return it to the position shown in dotted lines. If the flame is accidentally extinguished, the thermostatic member 70 immediately cools and contracts so as to move the detent 2' downwardly against the action of the spring Z and out of engagement with the notch d" so as to permit the spiral spring to rock the gas valve to closed position and move the elbow lever d to the position shown in dotted lines. Since the effectual expansive and contractual force of the thermostatic rod 72 is dependent upon the tension of the spring 0 it is evident that by regulating the tension of this spring the degree of sensitiveness of control and quickness of operation of the cut-0H devices maybe readily fixed to meet any conditions of use.

It has been sought in the above description to emphasize throughout the simplicity of the improved construction which is realized largely through the reduction in the number of parts, and the consequent cheapness of manufacture insured through this great reduction in the number of parts and further obtained through the provision of elements formed of simple stampings of sheet metal. It is thought that the advantages realized by the improved construction will be emphasized by a comparison of it with the many devices which have hitherto been constructed in an effort to provide a cheap, simple and effective automatic cutoff of commercial practicability.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic cut-off for gas burners comprising, in combination with a rotatable valve, an elbow lever carried on the valve stem, one of the arms of the lever having formed thereon an arcuate portion on the lower edge of which is a notch, a spring engaging the valve operatively to hold it normally in closed position, a U-shaped bracket, means to secure the bracket detachably to the burner, a bell crank lever pivoted to one of the arms of the bracket, a thermostatic rod secured at one end to one arm of the bell crank lever and secured adjustably at the other end to the other arm of the bracket and disposed within the gas flame, a detent formed on the end of the other arm of the bell crank lever and arranged to be engaged with the notch in the arcuate portion of the elbow lever when the thermostatic rod expands and to be moved out of engagement with the notch when the rod contracts, and a spring carried by the bracket and engaging the bell crank lever operatively, said pring tending to hold the detent in the notch, and the first named spring serving to rotate the valve to closed position when the detent moves out of engagement with the notch.

2. An automatic cut-off for gas burners comprising, in combination with a rotatable "valve plug having a square stem, an elbow lever stamped out of sheet metal carried on the valve stem and provided with a square aperture to pass onto the squared stem, one of the arms of the lever having formed thereon an arcuate portion concentric with the valve on the lower edge of which is a notch, and the other of the said arms carrying a pull chain for manual operation of the valve, a spiral spring engaging the elbow lever operatively to hold the valve normally in closed position, a U-shaped bracket tamped out of sheet metal, a strap to secure the bracket detachably to the burner, a bell crank lever having a short arm and a long arm pivoted to one of the arms of the bracket, a thermostatic rod secured at one end to the short arm of the bell crank lever and secured adjustably at the other end to the other arm of the bracket and disposed within the gas flame, a fiat expansive spring interposed between the last named end of the rod and the last named arm of the bracket, a screw to which the rod is attached, a Wing nut by which the rod may be tightened against the action of the spring, the rod being assisted in its expansive action on the bell crank lever by the said expansive spring, a detent stamped out of sheet metal and formed on the end ofthe long arm of the bell crank lever and arranged ,to be engaged with the notch in the arcuate portion of the elbow lever When the thermostatic rod expands and to be moved out of engagement With the notch when the rod contracts, and a leaf spring carried by the bracket and engaging the bell crank lever operatively, said sprin tending to hold the detent in the notch, and the first named spring serving to rotate the valve to closed position when the detent moves out of engagement With the notch.

This specification signed and witnessed this 6th day of February, A. D. 1915,

VINCENT ABBATE. Signed in the presence of O'rro PERLINI, WORTHINGTON CA PBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

